Hundreds of thousands of Arsenal fans lined north London as the club's Premier League title parade rolled through Islington on a five-mile loop around the Emirates Stadium. It was a celebration built around a 22-year wait, and the scale of it made clear how much the trophy meant to supporters who had lived through every year of that gap.
How north London turned out for the celebration
Fans described the day as release as much as party. Joe told the BBC: "We've been knocking on the door for the last four seasons and we've finally done it. I'm so excited." Theresa said, "it has been a long time since Arsenal has had anything to scream and roar about." Another supporter added: "I had to be here because I waited 22 years for this."
The mood was not hard to read. Open-top buses, fireworks and vuvuzelas gave the parade the feel of a club and fanbase letting out a long-held breath. Michael, a supporter since the Thierry Henry era, said, "it's only up from here. I'm over the moon."
Arsenal's women also joined the parade after lifting the first-ever Fifa Women's Champions Cup earlier in the season, while Bukayo Saka and Myles Lewis-Skelly were among the names tied to the title campaign.
Arsenal's title itself matters here too. The club finished first in the Premier League with 82 points, 25 wins and a +43 goal difference, and arrived at the parade on a five-match winning streak. That is why this looked less like a ceremonial lap and more like a fanbase marking the end of a long wait in full view of the city.
The bitter note came from the previous day, when Arsenal lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest. Trey, another fan at the parade, said: "It feels surreal to come up against such a good team with PSG." The defeat sat in the background, but it did not change what north London was celebrating. Arsenal were champions, and on this day the streets looked like they knew it.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
